You may as well dub Peoria little Ireland

Thursday

Mar 17, 2011 at 12:01 AMMar 17, 2011 at 4:04 PM

Here in central Illinois, you don’t have to be born in the Emerald Isle to embrace Irish culture. On St. Patrick’s Day, bars across the land turn into hotbeds of Irish cheer, with pints of Guinness and Smithwick’s, plates of corned beef and bagpipe music galore. Here’s are some suggestions for navigating the sea of green.

Danielle Hatch

Here in central Illinois, you don’t have to be born in the Emerald Isle to embrace Irish culture. On St. Patrick’s Day, bars across the land turn into hotbeds of Irish cheer, with pints of Guinness and Smithwick’s, plates of corned beef and bagpipe music galore. Here’s are some suggestions for navigating the sea of green.

Take in the parade: The 31st annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade, with more than 100 Irish-themed floats, is a must. It starts at 11 a.m. Thursday in Downtown Peoria.

Mingle with the Irish: The St. Patrick’s Society of Peoria’s annual party at the Holiday Inn City Centre, 500 Hamilton Blvd., starts at 11:30 a.m. There will be live entertainment, food and beverages. Admission to the party is $5 for adults, $3 for high school aged youth, and free for younger children. Admission for St. Patrick’s Society Members is $3.

Honor a late, great Irishman: Raise money for the Sacred Heart Sandwich program in memory of Mike “Sully” Sullivan by marching with a giant Irish flag in the parade. The cost is $20, and sign-up forms available at Whitey’s Tip Top Inn, 2601 N. Sheridan Road or by email at sullybaum@sbcglobal.net. Or, just show up between 9 and 10 a.m. March 17 at Ulrich’s Rebellion Room. Wear green!

Hit the motherland: Kelleher’s Irish Pub and Suzi Davis Travel will be raffling off a three-day trip to Ireland. Tickets are $1 or 25 for $20, available at Kelleher’s. The winner will be announced on WMBD-AM 1470’s “Greg and Dan” morning show on March 21. All proceeds go to the Boys and Girls Club of Peoria.

Embrace history: After the holiday festivitis have cleared, Flanagan House Museum, 942 NE Glen Oak, will host “A Timeless Irish Tale,” stories of the Flanagan family history and Irish immigration, from 2 to 4 p.m. March 19 and 20. Tickets are $5 for adults, $2 for children, with children younger than 5 admitted free. Call the Peoria Historical Society at 674-1921.

- Fox Pub and Cafe, 7800 N. Sommer St, Suite 302. Opens at 10 a.m., live music and Irish dancers throughout the day, including Roundstone Buskers from 7 to 10 p.m. Corned beef and cabbage served all day.